Lara's Awakening
by Niai
Summary: When the plane taking Lara and her fiancé to their skiing holiday destination crashes into the heart of the Himalayas, Lara finds herself the sole survivor. Discover the events that led to Lara Croft becoming a Tomb Raider.


**Lara's Awakening **

**Part 1 **

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**_January 13th 1988__  
En route to the __Himalayas_

"Lara my dear, are you alright?"

"Hmm...?" she said absent-mindedly, her hand on her chin as she gazed at the tufts of cloud as they swept pass. They had boarded their flight from Gatwick several hours ago, and Lara had hardly set a word for the duration of the flight.

"You aren't... scared of flying are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous Henry. I went to school in Switzerland. I had to fly home to England more times than I can count," she replied briskly, still not removing her view from the window.

"But then, what's the matter? This isn't like you, to be so quiet."

She sighed. Were her emotions really so clear to see?

"Nothing. I was just..."

She stopped there, hoping that she wouldn't have to finish the sentence. No such luck.

"Yes? You were just...?"

She turned her head to face him. Henry was the Earl of Farringdon. She'd been introduced to him at one of her parent's extravagant parties they'd held at the mansion, and they'd gotten engaged several months ago. Normally she detested the men her parents so persistently tried to set her up with, but Henry had been different. They'd been engaged for several months.

"Two weeks in the Himalayas skiing, and then what?"

He gave a small laugh, rather perplexed that she had asked the question.

"Well, we go back to Surrey to start the wedding preparations in time for May of course."

"And after we're married... what then?"

"Lara, what are you trying to say?" he asked worryingly. "Are you... having second thoughts?"

"Oh..."

She leant forward and clasped his hand with hers.

"No, that's not it. I do want us to be married," she said truthfully. "It's just that..."

She let go.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with my life."

"Lara dear, you can do anything you want. You're one of the most brilliant people I know. Lara Croft: daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft, Duchess of Saint Bridget, attended Wimbeldon High School and Institut Alpin Videmanette. And just look at all your qualifications. Why, you could do anything at all."

"I was born into all that. And as for qualifications, when it all comes down to it they don't _mean anything_, do they?

She sighed.

"And it seemed so simple to me when I was younger, too. When I left Finishing School I was going to be a..."

She laughed sadly. Oh how silly it seemed now.

"...world famous archaeologist. A _Tomb Raider_, I was going to call myself."

"You know, you still could if you wanted to. World famous archaeologist: Lara Croft."

She let out a faint laugh, knowingly.

"No, Henry. We all know how that idea turned out."

She thought back to her expedition to Cambodia four years ago. Von Croy dangling from the pedestal, screaming out to her: 'Lara! Lara!' And what had she done? Nothing. She couldn't. She was just a sixteen year old girl, thinking she had what it took but when it came down to it, the only thing she knew was how to run away. She still had nightmares about that fateful day, even now. What had happened to Von Croy in Ankor Wat wasn't her fault, but that didn't give her any consolation.

Henry bit his lip.

"Lara, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go digging all that business up again," he said apologetically.

She frowned, sadly.

"Oh no, Henry. _I'm_ sorry. We're supposed to be starting our holidays, enjoying ourselves, and here I am ruining it all."

"Oh, don't be silly. Here."

He leaned forward and withdrew two glasses and a bottle of some very fine French wine from the compartment in front of their seats. He then poured them both a glass and handed one to her.

"This ought to do the trick," he said, smiling.

"Thanks," she said.

"Just sit back and enjoy the flight. We've only got a few more hours to--"

His sentence was cut short, because the plane then began to shake.

"Turbulence?" asked Lara, speaking to no one in particular.

"Yes. Don't worry," replied Henry, not sounding quite as confident as he'd like to.

The shaking became steadily more violent. Lara knew that this wasn't just turbulence. If they were on the ground this would be an earthquake. Something was seriously wrong. Lara lost grip of the wine glass and it collapsed onto her lap, pouring the liquid all down her, before it fell to her feet and smashed. A terrible screeching noise engulfed the plane. Lara soon felt as though her eardrums were about to explode. If she had been able to hear anything else besides the constant ringing in her ears, Lara would have known that most of the other passengers were screaming. Henry leant forward and was violently sick. The pair were both wearing their seatbelts. The unfortunate passengers who were unstrapped or on their feet were thrown around the plane like rag dolls in the midst of a hurricane. Frantic words from the pilot were transmitted over the intercom but they were inaudible over the ruthless din. Life jackets suddenly fell from the spaces above the passenger seats, but there was no time to put them on. The plane began to lurch downwards.

"Lara!"

Henry grabbed Lara's hand and held onto it forcibly, his fingers overlying her engagement ring as if he would never let go. She gritted her teeth. If Lara had ever ridden a rollercoaster she would already be familiar with the sensation. But this was no rollercoaster. This was real, and there were no rails that were taking them back up to safety. As they were falling, and falling, Henry' grip became stronger and stronger and the screeching became louder and louder. There were five hundred thoughts running through Lara's head at that moment but she only managed to process one of them before the plane hit the earth and she was plunged into nothing but pure darkness. 'They were all going to die.'

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**A little bit of trivia: **

**Institut Alipin Videmanette is a real Swiss Finishing school where Diana Princess of Wales went to for a while. For those who don't know, (I had to do a Wikipedia search myself!) a Finishing School is basically a very posh private school where girls go to finish off their education and learn cooking and skiing and such. I just wish I was a rich posh girl so I could go to one. >>  
**


End file.
